CLEVELAND — Zach LaVine delivered a stellar performance with 37 points, 11 of which came in the crucial fourth quarter, leading the Sacramento Kings to a 120-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. This win keeps the Kings in contention for a play-in spot in the playoffs.
Supporting LaVine, DeMar DeRozan added 28 points, and Domantas Sabonis contributed with 27 points and nine rebounds, helping Sacramento climb to ninth place in the Western Conference after securing their second consecutive victory.
On the other side, Ty Jerome was the top scorer for the Cavaliers, recording 20 points, while Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 19. Jerome returned to action for the first time since March 25 after being sidelined for five games due to left knee tendinitis. Unfortunately for Cleveland, their three-game winning streak came to an end, and they will have to wait to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference, dropping to a 62-16 record.
The Kings were trailing 106-105 with five minutes left when they made a decisive move, embarking on a 13-5 run to take control of the game.
Takeaways:
Kings: DeRozan surpassed the legendary Jerry West (25,192 points) on the NBA’s career scoring list, moving into 26th place with 25,209 points after a free throw in the third quarter. DeRozan, now in his 16th season, achieved this in 1,183 games.
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell seemed to suffer a left ankle injury early in the second half. He briefly left for the locker room but returned to the bench and rejoined the game shortly after.
Key moment:
Sacramento’s Keon Ellis wowed the crowd with a spectacular halfcourt shot from 43 feet at the halftime buzzer, narrowing the deficit to 57-56. With one foot beyond the midcourt line, Ellis unleashed the impressive buzzer-beater.
Key stat:
The Kings struggled with their three-point shooting in the first half, connecting on just 4 of 17 attempts. However, their fortunes turned after halftime as they went 10 of 16 from beyond the arc, with LaVine nailing all six of his shots.
Up next:
The Sacramento Kings will conclude their six-game road trip with a matchup in Detroit on Monday night, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.